In 1983 a jacket designed by Margaret Barbour appeared in the Barbour range for the first time. It was the Beaufort, made for country pursuits, and the brand's own history says it is now worn in both town and country. The full-length pocket across the back, the company notes, is used for newspapers or small groceries.

The label itself began much earlier. In 1894 a Scotsman named John Barbour set up in South Shields, supplying oilskins to sailors, fishermen and mariners. The Bedale followed in 1980, also designed by Margaret Barbour, as a shorter thornproof jacket for riding. Fashion press has since described the pair as the blueprint of a wax jacket: a corduroy collar, a snap storm flap, a two-way zipper and generously sized patch pockets. Add the olive waxed outside and the tartan lining, and you have a look people recognize from across a street.

This is my Barbour jacket dupe edit, which means pieces from other labels that share that look: waxed cotton, a corduroy collar, big pockets. Nothing here is the original, and none of it pretends to be. It is the same idea, in different hands, for anyone who wants the shape without the logo or in a color the original does not make.

The first eight are waxed or wax-finish barn jackets. I would start with the olive Lauren Ralph Lauren barn jacket, which has the brown corduroy collar, brass snaps and bellows-shaped flap pockets. The BLANKNYC corduroy collar barn jacket in dark olive is the darker, moodier version. Alex Mill's Chiltern Street comes in brown and a deep red, both 100% cotton waxed canvas. Celtic & Co. makes a dark brown raglan-sleeve jacket with a removable hood. Wear any of them over a chunky knit and straight jeans. Test: pinch the collar. Corduroy has visible wales and some give, and it should sit flat when folded down.

The collar does most of the work. Press coverage of waxed jackets keeps coming back to it: a contrast corduroy turn-down collar is what separates a country jacket from a plain shell. Here the shell is cotton, twill or utility cloth rather than wax, so the collar is carrying the look.

The Levi's military jacket in indigo has corduroy on the collar and cuffs plus cargo pockets and a drawstring waist. MANGO's brown version is shorter, built like a barn jacket. Rails makes a lightweight tan and gray check with a brown corduroy collar and a zip front, which I would put over a turtleneck with trousers. The H&M twill jacket in dark burgundy has a wind flap behind the zip, a nice nod to the storm flap on the original. BCBG's charcoal barn jacket has flap pockets and a button front, and the Levi's chore jacket in ecru is the light one.

In the fitting room, flip the collar up. It should stand a little, not flop, and the corduroy should be stitched cleanly with no puckering at the corners. Check that the pockets can take a phone and gloves without pulling the front. I like a fabric that feels dense when you pinch the sleeve.

What I would skip: a stretch twill when you want structure. The Whistles corduroy collar jacket in olive is the soft, cropped option, so pick it for ease, not for a stiff, field-coat shape.

Quilting has its own history in the Barbour story, because the label also mends quilts by hand at its South Shields factory, as its history page says. The look is a diamond stitch, a corduroy collar and a snap front, and it works as a lighter layer under a coat or on its own in October.

Lauren Ralph Lauren makes a taupe houndstooth diamond-quilted barn jacket with faux-leather trim on the shoulder and collar. The Levi's quilted barn jacket in black check has a black corduroy collar and patch pockets. AQUA's olive quilted barn jacket has a brown corduroy collar and flap pockets, and Madewell's blue check liner jacket trims collar and cuffs in black corduroy. Cole Haan's charcoal jacket swaps in a faux-suede collar and is water-repellent. The Liverpool in black has a round collarless neckline and patch pockets, and the Marine Layer bomber and the light blue Dear John are the other clean, collarless ones.

Test the stitching: lines should be even and the diamonds should lie flat when you hold the jacket up by the shoulders. Look at where the quilting meets the collar seam, as that is where thin construction bunches. Wear a quilted jacket with a scarf and boots.

What I would skip: a quilted bomber if what you want is the corduroy collar. The collar is the piece that makes the look read.

A shorter waxed jacket is a nod to the Bedale, the jacket cut shorter for riding. If a full-length coat swallows you, this is the answer, and it sits right with high-waist trousers or a skirt and tights.

The Quince is a cropped black waxed organic cotton barn jacket, flannel lined, with a corduroy collar and slanted flap pockets. Its listed body length is 25.25 in in a small, so you can picture where it ends. Celtic & Co. makes a hip-length dark brown zip jacket, made in Britain, with a corduroy collar and a drawstring waist. The Levi's bomber is waxed cotton in black with a ribbed hem. The Rip Curl olive jacket has roomy bellows pockets, a detail the press lists among traditional waxed-jacket features. Madewell's sepia zip jacket and Alex Mill's navy waxed cotton are the neat ones.

Check the hem against your waistband when you lift your arms, and see that the zip runs smoothly. Waxed fabric creases in a way that looks good, so a few lines on the elbows are fine. Care note: traditional wax jackets are sponge-clean only, so keep them out of the washing machine.

What I would skip: a wax-effect finish when you want a true waxed hand feel. Manière De Voir and the MANGO short trench have a sleek wax effect and a cinched or dolman shape, which is lovely but a different look.

Barn jackets are where the corduroy collar and the pockets get their moment. They are boxy, roomy and made for layering, which in October means a knit and a scarf underneath.

BP. offers a rust cotton canvas one with a dark corduroy collar, large patch pockets and a snap front. The Levi's Shorty in brown is cropped, and the Levi's in camel has a corduroy collar and oversized flap pockets. Avec Les Filles has a longline brown version with a concealed placket. The Elodie in beige is oversized with a camel collar, and ASTR the Label's Hope is 100% cotton canvas in khaki brown. Lioness has chocolate canvas with buckle tabs at the waist. Still Here in khaki is the pale, simple one.

Test the pockets first: they should be deep enough for a hand and hold their shape when you put something in. Then fold the collar down and see whether the contrast is clear against the body. Pair the rust or chocolate with cream trousers, and the khaki ones with dark denim.

What I would skip: a collar so close in color to the body that it disappears. The contrast is the detail that sells the look, so pick a clear difference.

I would begin with the jacket cloth. If you want the closest idea to the original, choose the waxed cotton jackets near the top and then check the collar, the pockets and the seams. If you want it lighter, go to a barn jacket in canvas.

Then think about length. Short suits skirts and high-rise trousers, longer suits a coat-over-everything day. Try the sleeves with a thick sweater underneath.

I keep coming back to Margaret Barbour designing a jacket for country pursuits and finding it was worn on city streets. A good look-alike should be able to do the same thing on a wet Tuesday.